If you have the chance, we enthusiastically recommend shopping at the local supermarket near your hotel.  You will definitely save money and find more variety compared to the gift shop in your hotel.  More importantly, you’ll be experiencing a slice of Chinese life as your hosts live it, and gain a little more insight into where your child is coming from.

While Wal-Mart, the big French chain Carrefour, and Malaysia-based Parkson have been building big supercenter markets around the country, most neighborhoods still feature smaller groceries, often within walking distance of your hotel.  For a Westerner, these hometown markets feel like a trip back in time – before “warehouse” stores put traditional grocers out of business.

You will be surprised at how easy it is to shop – store layouts have the same departments, the shelving looks the same, many of the brands and products are familiar, and checkout counters work the same as at home.  (Just count on using cash only.)  They’ll bag your purchases for you, too.

It’s cheap fun – and a lot of fun – to walk the aisles.  Discovering how products you use every day have been adapted for the Chinese market – different flavors, packaging, performance – teaches you what is important here.  In the refrigerated section, notice how much yogurt and milk are promoted for good health – and that average folks didn’t drink milk ten or even five years ago.  Chocolate used to be a rare luxury, so notice how they package and position even the simple Hershey bar.  The Tide laundry detergent you’ll find here proclaims different cleaning powers than the version you use back home!

         

   

Noticing the non-Western items is also fascinating!  Aisles full of dried noodles, strange fruits and vegetables, and snacks you’ve never seen before.  Fresh seafood, hot items at the deli, and even fresh baked goods will get your senses going.  The frozen foods section will test your powers of deduction.  (The ice cream is reasonably good, and the little cartons come with a tiny spoon.)

  

Like supermarkets back home used to do (when you were a kid, or perhaps during your parents’ time), here you’ll often find a section of the store devoted to household goods – cooking gear, cleaning gear, small appliances, towels and sheets, and even underwear…

The neighborhood market will often sub-lease space to other businesses – not unusual, as you may well expect to see a floral shop, dry-cleaner, barber, and lottery desk at your store back home.  In China, it can be more interesting than that, such as the “surplus military gear” shop at our local market in Beijing.